General
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Update
This outbreak continues to evolve rapidly, with cases of COVID-19 now being seen on almost every continent.
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***IMPORTANT PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID SPREAD OF INFECTION***
If you have a cough and/or fever
AND
you or someone close to you has recently travelled to China, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Japan, Singapore or South Korea,
OR you have interacted with someone with COVID-19
PLEASE call Telehealth (1-866-797-0000) or your local public health unit for further direction and testing.
Do not go to a clinic or hospital before calling first and be ready to self-isolate if necessary.
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What’s new?
As of Feb 26, Canada has 12 confirmed cases (5 in Ontario and 7 in British Columbia).
There are thousands of cases in China.
The following countries are also reporting cases:
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Cambodia
- China (mainland)
- Croatia
- Egypt
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- India
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Macao
- Malaysia
- Nepal
- Oman
- Philippines
- Russia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- Vietnam
Risk to Canadians remains low. Risk to Canadians travelling abroad also remains low but spread of the disease in other countries is constantly being monitored and Health Canada updates travel advisories as needed.
How to protect yourself
There is currently no vaccine to prevent 2019-nCoV. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Prevention measures include:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are ill.
- Stay home when you are ill.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then immediately throw the tissue in the garbage and wash your hands.
- If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or arm.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Learning more
This remains a rapidly evolving situation. We continue to do our best to keep you updated. These organizations are also constantly updating their websites to keep us up to date: